acebutolol, Sectral, Prent

Annette (Gbemudu) Ogbru, PharmD, MBA

Dr. Gbemudu received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Nova Southeastern University, her PharmD degree from University of Maryland, and MBA degree from University of Baltimore. She completed a one year post-doctoral fellowship with Rutgers University and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

GENERIC NAME: acebutolol

BRAND NAME: Sectral, Prent

DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Acebutolol is a drug that blocks receptors
(beta-adrenergic receptors) on nerves of the sympathetic nervous system that is
used to treat high blood pressure and ventricular
arrhythmias (abnormal rhythms
of the heart). Other beta-adrenergic agents within the same class as acebutolol
include, atenolol (Tenormin), betaxolol (Betoptic), celiprolol (Cardem),
bisoprolol (Zebeta), esmolol (Brevibloc), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL), and
nebivolol (Bystolic). Acebutolol and other beta-adrenergic blocking drugs work
by blocking the action of the neurotransmitters, norepinephrine and epinephrine,
that nerves use to communicate with each other. Blocking the beta-1 adrenergic
receptors in the heart allows the heart to beat more slowly thereby reducing the
amount of blood that the heart must pump and, therefore, the work that the heart
must do and the amount of oxygen it must use. Over time, this action improves
the pumping of the heart.

Acebutolol and drugs within its class differ from
other beta-adrenergic blocking drugs because they are selective beta blockers,
that is, they block one type of beta-adrenergic receptor, the beta-l receptor,
rather than multiple types of beta-adrenergic receptors like other
beta-adrenergic blockers that are nonselective. This is especially important, in
patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who require
treatment with beta-adrenergic blocking drugs because blocking the non-beta-1
receptors can make asthma or COPD worse. Acebutolol was approved by the FDA in
December 1984.

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acebutolol, Sectral, Prent

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